Manny King John
Hard Rock International – owner of one of the world’s most-recognizable and iconic brands – appoints Ken Blaustein for Hard Rock’s newly-created role, Director of Music and Artist Relations. In this new position, Blaustein will be responsible for evolving the brand’s global music persona through new and meaningful initiatives that resonate with the next generation of music fans around the world, while continuing to honor Hard Rock’s iconic legacy in music. As part of these initiatives, Blaustein will oversee music programming, artist and lifestyle partnerships, industry relations, experiential activations, data integrations and the development of original content offerings.
“The Director of Music and Artist Relations is a new and exciting position at Hard Rock and we are privileged to welcome Ken to the Hard Rock Team,” said Stephen Judge, President of Cafe Operations for Hard Rock International. “Ken has an impressive record of exceptional leadership, cultivating authentic artist culture and demonstrating vision in the digital era of the music business. We look forward to seeing Ken excel in this position and to continue to evolve the musical DNA that our guests have come to know and expect from Hard Rock International.”
Blaustein offers more than 20 years of experience in the music industry. Prior to joining Hard Rock International, Blaustein was based in Los Angeles serving as the Senior Director of Artists & Repertoire and Artist Relations for Capitol Records and Virgin Records, as well as the Director of Artists & Repertoire at Warner Bros. Through his experience, his teams shaped the careers of breakthrough artists My Chemical Romance, Avenged Sevenfold, Mastodon, 30 Seconds to Mars and The Used, among others. Most recently, he co-founded the event ticket startup Contender.com.
Internationally-recognized as a world-class restaurant and hospitality brand, Hard Rock operates cafes across the world that are visited by more than 79 million guests each year. Its first cafe opened in London, England, and from there the brand has expanded to major cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Paris, Sydney and Tokyo, and exotic settings such as Kuala Lumpur, Dubai and Malta. Hard Rock Cafe offers a one-of-a-kind dining experience with a commitment to serving fresh, high-quality ingredients. To satisfy the consumer’s ever-changing palate, Hard Rock continually updates its menu with limited-time offerings including burger pairings, innovative cocktails and more. For more information on Hard Rock Cafe, please visit www.hardrock.com/cafes.
